Kvinde i seng. Antagelig illustrationsudkast til H.C. Andersen, "Noget" 1866

Lorenz Frølich sketched this illustration for Hans Christian Andersen's "Something" using graphite. It shows a woman lying in bed. Above her, a cloud-like form looms. This specter evokes the "spirit of the dead," a motif seen across cultures, from ancient Greek funerary art to Victorian séances. Notice how the woman's upward gaze connects her to this ethereal figure, suggesting a dream or vision. The bed, a place of rest but also of vulnerability, heightens the psychological tension. Such imagery taps into our collective memories of mortality, fear, and the unknown. It's a visual formula that resurfaces time and again, each time colored by the anxieties and beliefs of the age. Consider how these symbols reflect our universal subconscious. They offer a glimpse into the cyclical nature of human experience.